Golf balls typically contain materials that are difficult to recycle. In particular, golf balls contain thermoset materials which, like rubber in tires, do not degrade and pose serious threats to the environment. In 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained U.S. Pat. No. 3,633 directed to sulfur vulcanization and further stated that “[n]o degree of heat, without blaze can melt it. . . . It resists the most powerful chemical reagents.” Although Goodyear's sulfur vulcanization provided a significant breakthrough to the industrial revolution, he also created one of the most difficult materials to recycle. There have been many efforts to develop methods of recycling and reclaiming rubber, especially in view of the increasing amount of scrap rubber produced by items, such as tires.
Approximately 30% of waste generated in golf ball manufacturing is rubber swarf, a by-product formed when a rubber core component is shaved to obtain a required dimension. The process contaminates the rubber with water, which currently precludes recovery or reuse of this material. This consequently leads to millions of tons of unusable waste that is expensive to dispose.
However, there is no method to date that processes and utilize swarf in golf balls, or other articles that are generally manufactured from rubber materials. Thus, a need exists for the use of swarf in golf balls, as well as a process to recover, dry and reuse swarf as a component in the production of golf ball components.